Chilean roots the crux of band’s sound

To get to the heart of Andino Suns, you have to go back 40 years.In Chile in 1973, democratically elected president Salvador Allende was overthrown and replaced by the dictatorial Augusto Pinochet. Thousands of supporters of the socialist Allende were taken as political prisoners, including Humberto Davalos, a professor of agrarian studies. After two years of imprisonment in the south of Chile, Davalos was exiled along with his wife, Beatriz, and two sons, Humberto (Tito) and Pablo.

The Davalos family came to Canada in November 1975, spending their first night in Regina in a South Albert Street hotel. Within a few days they’d gone to live in Moose Jaw where a third son, Andres (Andy), was born.

Though no longer in Chile, the Davalos children grew up with a strong sense of their culture: A satellite dish broadcast Chilean TV into their home and their parents spoke Spanish all the time. Plus, “My dad was always pumping Latin music down our throats since we were little kids, so we’ve always been playing the instruments of South America,” said Andy Davalos, who has visited his motherland 10 times.

“When we go to Chile, we’re more Chilean than the people there. All Chileans in Regina and Saskatchewan, all their families are very Chilean because they held onto that culture so much and they miss it so much,” said Davalos. “We were always pumped with the arts, the dance, the music, the culture and the political ideologies of the families that were here.”

Davalos was in Grade 7 when he started playing heavy metal music. He also experimented in blues before embracing the Latin sound a decade ago. Five years ago he and his brother Pablo started building a band. Incorporating other Chilean-Canadians — Andres Palma, Gabe Hernandez and Pablo’s son Antonio (Tony) — as well as two Canadian brothers, Leif Mehlsen and Erik Mehlsen, Andino Suns was born. The group is having its first CD release party at Regina’s Artful Dodger on March 16.

True to the sound of the Andes Mountains, Andino Suns incorporates regional instruments like the charango (similar to a mandolin), the bombo (a wood and goatskin kick drum), the chaccas (shakers filled with goat nails) and the zampona (pan pipe). Then there are the vocals — five-part harmonies, all in Spanish.

Davalos is not worried about the language barrier alienating potential fans: Regina is a small city and “I think word spreads that we’ll give them a good live show.” But when it comes to breaking into other cities and the festival circuit, “They might not even give you a chance because it’s in Spanish.” The next album, which is already being written, will all be in English.

That said, “Canadians are very accepting. It’s a multicultural society. We’ve played in small towns, we played in Moose Jaw one time in front of a year-end curling party for senior citizen ladies, grandmas, and they loved us. We played at O’Hanlon’s and it was packed,” said Davalos. “It appeals to many different crowds but you’re not going to understand what we’re saying unless you speak Spanish.”

Songs are written collaboratively and though the band knows its roots, “I don’t want us to be pigeonholed in a corner,” said Davalos. “Yes, we are Latin roots, but we are going to be singing in English and we’re going to bring in electric guitars for this next album and we’re going to play a little blues. By no means do I want to be stuck in one genre.”

Check out Andino Suns at The Artful Dodger on Saturday, March 16.

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Chilean roots the crux of band’s sound

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